


A Skeleton of Something More

by Altun_Heiral



Series: Vermillion Fire [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/F, based off my knowledge of the xaela tribes this is how i tackled the other part of Altun's past, this is more something rooted in what happened to the Kahkols
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:28:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29751324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Altun_Heiral/pseuds/Altun_Heiral
Summary: During her return to the Azim Steppe during the events of Stormblood, Altun finds out the fate of Kahkol tribe.
Relationships: Warrior of Light/Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Series: Vermillion Fire [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2184399
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	A Skeleton of Something More

**Author's Note:**

> It's pretty well known as far as i know due to their wrecked camp actually being on the map, that the Kahkol tribe no longer exists. While i've never been able to timeline it exactly in general because of when Altun left and when Stormblood starts. While i exaggerated some of it for the sake of Altun's own backstory and how these events tie into her parents murder, most everything is the same. They were basically wiped out be disease when the Buduga destroyed their camp. Some survivors do still exist among the Buduga. The way i worked it is that regardless, the Buduga are the reason Altun's family is gone. And they were the reason her parents were killed. Is it completely accurate ? No, but they are known for killing and kidnapping so it's also not completely far fetched. Its also kinda hinted at by me, though never said in anything i've written, that the Buduga are also the reason Caalun never came home.

It had been a long day. Altun’s eyes were quite swollen from all the crying she had done. The sky seemed to be echoing her newfound sorrows as the rain was now pouring down on the steppe. Altun had buried herself in her blanket at the back of the yurt the Mol had set up for them. Altun and Reina had one to themselves for most part. No one dared question the look of anguish written on Altun’s face when she returned from showing Reina around the steppe. The expression Reina had been wearing wasn’t much better. They all had watched in silence as Reina walked Altun inside out of the rain, her arm woven around Altun’s waist.

Reina had gone around the yurt, hanging their clothes out so they could dry. She was currently laying Altun’s ribbon out across a rope near where their they had their small beds laid out on the ground. Altun kept staring into the light from one of the lamps situated around the yurt, that selfsame expression of absolute devastation in her eyes. It hurt Reina to see her like this, yet she knew there likely wasn’t even much she could say to ease her pain. Altun turned a piece of a broken arrowhead in between her fingers. It was all she could find. All that was left. She didn’t know who’s arrowhead it was or who in her family it belonged to. She just knew it beglong to one of them, and therefore refused to leave it behind.

Frowning, Reina walked over and seated herself next to Altun. She was still for a moment before moving closer to Reina, resting her head on her shoulder. Altun moved her blanket so that it was covering them both around the shoulders. There was a silence that Reina didn’t know how to mend. She knew there was nothing she could say that would make things easier, make dealing with the reality of knowing her whole family was gone, easier. Their new steps in their relationship were already showing as Altun seemed to be leaning even more heavily on Reina now for comfort. She at the very least, seemed to be comfortable enough to be more vulnerable with Reina now.

Altun wanted to cry again, it was hard not to. There was a tightness in her chest, as though someone was trying to squeeze the air from her lungs. The rain was still falling outside the warmth of the yurt and each other’s embrace. Altun was so tired of everyone dying for her. Dying for the choices she made. Altun had only told Reina some stories about Mide, how she was like her mother after her parents were murdered. Mide used magic and Altun knew this. This arrowhead wasn’t Mide’s, but most likely one of the hunters or a member from Caalun’s family, assuming any of them were still alive at the time of the attack. She set the arrowhead down on her bag next to her before leaning back into Reina’s embrace.

“Reina?” Altun’s voice was hoarse, clearly tired from crying and screaming. “Would things have been different if I’d never left?” Somehow Altun knew Reina’s answer already, yet she asked the question on her heart anyway. It would weight there if she didn’t. Reina furrowed her brow as she wrapped both her arms around Altun, holding her close.

“I don’t know.” She was honest. She didn’t know. There was no true way to tell if things could have or would have been different if Altun never left in the first place. “There’s no honest way to tell. We make the best choices, choices we feel are right at the time. All your stories made it seem like they all thought it was best for you to leave too so you could find your own place.” Reina felt Altun bury her face into her chest, there were tears again as she felt Altun grip at the hems of her shirt.

“What if I came back and visited sooner like I promised? Maybe I could have done something then. Maybe -” she was a mess of sobs again, clinging desperately to Reina in an attempt to find an answer that probably didn’t exist. She didn’t know what to say. There was no right answer to Altun’s questions, and Altun probably knew that too even though she was asking Reina anyway.

“Whatever is going on in your head, it’s not your fault.” Reina said. She tried to keep her voice steady. Listening to Altun cry wasn’t easy, even before this step in their relationship, she hated to see her cry. She hated watching her be in pain. “You didn’t know this would happen. Just like you parents didn’t know you all would be ambushed that day.” She didn’t know how to reiterate any more that this wasn’t Altun’s fault simply because she left all those years ago. While there was no right answer to whether or not things would be different had she stayed, this whole mess wasn’t her fault. “Mide wouldn’t blame you either.” Reina said. She heard Altun’s sobs slowly fade into sniffles. “You don’t have to hide that you blame yourself for a lot of what has happened, for everyone who has died. I blame myself sometimes too.” Reina carefully moved the blanket tighter around Altun’s shoulders, rocking her back and forth gently.

“Reina?” Altun’s voice was quiet again, her head resting over the center of Reina’s chest. Her eyes fluttered closed as she listened to the sound of Reina’s heart beating. “How do you say goodbye where there’s not even anything to say goodbye to?” Reina frowned again. She knew from Altun’s stories of her childhood that Altun’s parents bodies had been recovered, so she had something to say goodbye to then. She had been about to answer when Altun spoke again. “I never told you about her really. There was a girl I liked a lot when I was young, her named was Caalun.” Reina was listening carefully, fingers running through Altun’s hair now. “She disappeared one day when she was hunting but they never found her body, but they all assumed someone murdered her.” Ah. So she had been down this road before, saying goodbye when there was nothing to say goodbye to. She had to navigate her childhood trying to say goodbye to someone she had grown to have feelings for, even though there was no body, nothing left of her that could be even held in memory in order to say goodbye.

“I -” Reina paused. She’d had her fair share of goodbyes. She’d seen people die. She’d said goodbye, walked away and tried to ignore the pain that came with goodbyes. Reina didn’t know how to say goodbye. She hated goodbyes. “I don’t know how to say goodbye well when there is something to say goodbye to, let alone without anything.” she admitted. She felt Altun nuzzle her face into her chest. “I’m not good at goodbyes.” Reina said.

“I don’t like goodbyes and I’m not good with them either. I’ve said too many of them.” Altun sat up, glancing up at Reina. Her face was stained in tears again, dry trails down her cheeks. Reina couldn’t tell if she looked sad or indifferent to the pain of this all over again. “It feels like we say goodbye over and over to people we love who die too soon.” She was right. She was deathly right. “Gods, strike me down if this world ever puts me in a situation where I have to say goodbye to you.” It was an absent minded comment, yet the twinge of pain that struck Reina’s heart was instant. Not on her life was that happening.

“I’m not going anywhere. I promise I’m always here.” She cupped Altun’s face in her hands, wiping away the few stray tears that had started to fall with her thumbs. She watched as Altun’s eyes fluttered shut. She could see a few tears clinging desperately to the ends of her eyelashes. Reina placed a gentle kiss to Altun’s forehead.

Altun had fallen asleep not long after their talk. Her head was resting in Reina’s lap as she ran her fingers through the ends of her hair. Reina had moved Altun’s blanket so it covered her, hoping it was enough to keep her warm in the cool night air of the steppe that was coupled with the downpour. She didn’t know if what she said helped Altun in any fashion, though she hoped it had. All she wished for now was that Altun could get as good of a nights rest as she was able given the situation. She glanced down at Altun’s sleeping figure. She seemed calm at the very least. She didn’t know what to do or what words to say still.

She felt Altun stir slightly, watching as she sat up. Altun rubbed her eyes a few times before looking at Reina. She slowly crawled over to Reina and leaned up against her again. Reina frowned at the tired expression Altun was wearing. The hours of crying had clearly worn her body out beyond all comparison.

“Reina, lay next to me?” Altun asked. She seemed shy almost about the request, almost as though afraid to ask fearing it may be too forward or too much.

“Of course, give me a moment.” she placed a kiss to Altun’s cheek before quickly going to fetch a couple more blankets for them. She returned and laid herself down on her own bed. They really had just pushed both their small beds together as one makeshift larger bed so they could sleep next to one another. Reina adjusted all the blankets, making sure they were covered and Altun wasn’t too warm. She settled in next to Altun, lying down next to her. Altun nestled herself against Reina’s body, snaking her arms around Reina’s waist. Reina rubbed her finger up and down Altun’s spine. There was a small comfortable hum from Altun. It wasn’t long before Altun had drifted off into sleep. Reina found it hard to sleep, mostly due to worry over Altun and due to her own thoughts on the situation.

The sun rose the next morning, but it had become very clear Altun was not ready to move yet. A notion that was respected by everyone around them. Reina simply went to making them a breakfast, though smaller than normal in case Altun wasn’t completely up to stomaching food. It would likely be another long day filled with more tears and pain. Altun knew Reina was there though. She wasn’t alone. Reina was more than looking after her, not even complaining about a thing. Altun couldn’t help the tiny smile that formed on her lips as she watched Reina. She wondered how long it had been since someone cared about her this much. Cared about her enough to listen to her woes without wanting to shoo her away. Reina made sure Altun was at least drinking water if she wasn’t eating food. She made sure Altun was comfortable if she was lying down to rest. Reina made sure Altun would be okay at the other end of this tunnel, that she wasn’t alone anymore. That there was no reason for her to hide her pain. Reina made sure above all else that Altun at least felt loved, even in her pain and struggles.

Reina made sure at the end of the day, that Altun always felt she could express her worries to Reina. It wasn’t much. It wouldn’t bring her family back. It wouldn’t bring her parents back. It wouldn’t find Caalun’s body after all these years. And it wouldn’t make it easier to say goodbye. It couldn’t erase Altun’s pain, but at the very least it could ease it. At the very least, at the end of each day, she wanted Altun to feel like the weight on her shoulders and her heart were a little lighter. That she could breathe in, and find somehow in all her pain, to keep going forward. That she could go forward, with her hand in Reina’s.


End file.
